Page 108 of Massimo

That would be more than enough of a message for Mancini, especially since he's not strong enough to go up against the Frolov Bratva. Their territories are close, and Rurik could easily march in and destroy him.

However, frustration boils in me that I'm not getting more out of this favor.

"We did discover a few more interesting things about Mancini," he adds, as if he can sense my frustration. "How well do you trust your syndicate, Massimo?"

I sit rigidly in my chair, but keep my tone even. "As well as you trust any of your allies, I'm sure."

He grunts. "Something is rotten in your ranks."

"How so?" I ask tightly.

"This cannot get back tomoya krasota," he says quietly, almost to himself. "She'll kill me."

I know a bit of Russian and catch the meaning—my beauty. A part of me is tempted to taunt the cold Russian, but I hold my tongue. One, because who the hell am I to mock another man for being captivated—and maybe a little fearful—of the woman in his life? And two, because I need whatever information he's holding.

"The hacker—"

"You could just use their handle, or at least pronouns, Rurik. Or say 'your hacker'."

He hisses out a breath. "It's complicated. This hacker doesn't work for me, and their complete anonymity is crucial."

In other words, whoever they are, he doesn't want any connection between them and the Bratva, or even the knowledge of if they are a male or female.

"Back to my intel, or are you no longer interested, Massimo?"

"Continue."

"The hacker wouldn't quit digging into Mancini, even after I ordered them to back off."

"And?"

"They discovered there were strange deposits in one of Mancini's encrypted accounts. They traced where they came from and found four sources. Care to guess who the money came from?"

My jaw shifts, and my left eye twitches. Vincenzo, Camillo, Achille, and Gastone. "I think I have an idea. For how much?"

"Two million each."

Were theybuyinginto whatever deal Mancini had with Glucoaid-X?

But at that buy-in price, how much exactly had Mancini actually promised them they'd make?

None of the 'Ndrangheta Dons were fools when it came to business; they'd make sure they got a solid return on their investment. However, the buy-in price seemed excessive for what Mancini could realistically deliver.

"Was there any other activity in the account?"

"Only one transaction." Rurik laughs coldly. "To drain the account, which was then dispersed among charities of the hacker's choosing."

"A little vigilante trying to balance the scales of justice." Whoever this hacker was, I could respect that.

I frown as I contemplate everything Rurik has shared. "Any insight or thoughts on how the French mafia play into this?"

"Julien Moreau wants Nova," Rurik says with even more ice in his words. "Rather than purchase her from an auction, I suspect he's purchased her straight from the source."

My teeth grind and my hand fists.

"I think it goes without saying, Massimo, don't fucking let him or Mancini get their hands on her. You don't need to admit shit to me. Just know that to strike at the French, I'll send whatever you need to assist your efforts. You only need to say the word."

"I'll hold you to that."

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